Ecobank Malawi Limited recently pledged its continued support to projects aimed at combating the effects of climate change.

The pledge was made at Ntchisi, a district in central Malawi, as the bank made the last payment of a 3 year carbon sequestration tree planting project worth $7,500. The project is implemented by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in cooperation with the Sustainability Science Programme at Harvard University.

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Speaking on behalf of the bank, Ecobank Malawi’s Doreen Matonga said the bank was impressed with the level of effort displayed by the farmers in Ntchisi. She commended the people of Joni and surrounding villages for ensuring that the trees survived at a time when effects of climate change have hit the district hard. She therefore pledged the bank’s commitment, through its corporate social responsibility programme, to sustainable projects that will bring about positive change.

Speaking earlier, the project’s principle researcher, Kelsey Jack, applauded the people of Ntchisi for ensuring that the tree survival rate is more that 90%. She called on the people in the project to ensure that they also pass on information to other farmers so that the project can make a difference.

District Commissioner for Ntchisi, Alex Mdooko, called on the people to continue taking care of the trees even after the lapse of the tree planting contract.

ICRAF’s representative at the function, Tracy Beedy, praised the project saying that this was the first time that the organization has done a cash-sponsored tree planting project [in Malawi]. She indicated that ICRAF would emulate it in other countries as the results were impressive.

The tree planting project was aimed at promoting M’mbawa trees as a source of carbon sequestration and long-term development. Over 170 farmers participated in the programme in which they were paid for each surviving tree.

One Response to “Malawi bank pledges support for tree farmers”

I think conimg up with a list of success factors before doing a project that the client can review and check off that they’ve made adequate preparations is really important. Consultants can only do so much, and guaranteeing the success of a project cannot solely rest in their hands alone, as many org mistakenly believe.